


Lost Within You

by parasitic



Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Abandonment, Alternate Universe, Angst and Feels, Asexual Character, Asexual Solas, BFFs, Best Friends, Blind Character, Blindness, Brother-Sister Relationships, Character Study, Cole Being Cole, Death, Demonic Possession, Envy Demons (Dragon Age), Experimentation, Exploration, F/F, F/M, Fade Demons, Fade Dreams, Fade Romance, Female Character of Color, Gen, Hopefully Tags Will Become Better as the Story Progresses, Human Cole (Dragon Age), I'm Sorry, In the Fade, Losing a Father, M/M, Multi, Other, Possession, Queerplatonic Relationships, Rage, Solas Being Solas, Sorry Not Sorry, Spirit Cole (Dragon Age), Spirits, Spiritual, Spoilers, The Fade, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-18
Updated: 2017-04-14
Packaged: 2018-08-09 13:27:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 18,563
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7803712
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/parasitic/pseuds/parasitic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Luz has been blind for nearly her entire life and has now sought after the Inquisition because the spirits in the Fade had told her to do so.<br/>Cole meets a new friend who might be someone who could understand him more than he does himself.<br/>Cullen is not so sure about letting a blind mage run around with Trevelyan.</p><p> </p><p>This is an exploration into a blind elf mage in Thedas since there doesn't seem to be much talk about this - or any stories with a blind mage; so here it is. I might edit the initial chapter(s) after posting if I think something else fits better, so be sure to check back regularly.<br/>This is my /personal/ take on this, and will be mainly a story to explore this idea further.<br/>I suck at these story summaries so just read if you are interested in this and tell me what you think!</p><p> </p><p>THIS WAS ON A SHORT HIATUS BUT NOW I'M BACK!! :D</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Waking up with a headache had not been Luz's plans for the day. Of course, she had not expected her day to go as planned, because when have any of her plans gone according to plan? She had been staying at this location for a few days now, but she knew than today would be the day of their arrival, the spirits had said so. Plus, she could feel the pull of the magic growing stronger as they approached the fortress. 

 

Standing on her two feet, Luz grabbed her pack and slid it on her back as she grabbed her staff, which was more like her walking stick; especially during her travels across the lands. She had decided to wait for them near the entrance of the great hall, just above the large doors. Not only was it to keep an _eye_ out for the people she was expecting, but to make sure she wasn't caught off guard while she was asleep. All the rubble and darkness did keep her hidden during the night, but one could never be too careful, Luz knew this for a fact. She had been in many situations where confrontations could have been avoided - but the stupidity of others had made it impossible. 

 

Luz positioned herself a top the balcony so she could be seen by anyone walking into the grand hall - especially if they looked back. With her feet dangling off the edge as she was perched up on the side of the balcony, she began to eat the leftover meat she had saved from the night before. The bread she had brought with her, now stale from being a few weeks old, lay on her lap as she ate the meat in her bowl. As she ate, she hoped that the people she was waiting for knew how to cook and would offer her better food than the one she had been grown accustomed to; it wasn't bad food, but Luz just wanted something new. She always grew bored of something after a few weeks, and food was a big one. 

 

After she finished her breakfast and there still being no sign of the people she was waiting for, Luz decided to pack up her bowl and turn off the flame that had been lit all night. With a movement of her hand, the flame vanished as she grabbed all of her belongings once more and decided to jump off the balcony - through the way she had climbed up. Luz had spent the last few days since she had arrived, learning the layout of the fortress, she knew every small patch of land. She knew her way around better than she cared to admit.

 

After an hour, Luz began to grow increasingly impatient. She knew they were coming today, so what was taking them so long? Right when the thought formed in her mind, she began to feel the vibrations resonating from the walls - as well as the pull of the Fade becoming stronger. She knew they were here. They were at the gates. She heard the footsteps of the people as well as loud voices as others were crying. She had been aware of what had happened, she had known why they would be arriving here today. The thought did not bring her joy, but sadness. She knew what they were feeling at this moment, sometimes she wished she didn't- but that pain was what had brought her to this exact point in her life. She knew this tragedy would only make all of those here now stronger; just as it had made her. 

 

Luz stood there as she dropped her large pack on the stone that lay at her bare feet; she knew she posed no threat to the travelers, but they would think otherwise as soon as they saw her there - waiting. Gripping her wooden staff, Luz knew what she had to do now; she had to set up a ward to keep her safe from any attacks that might come her way while she stood there. Listening carefully, she heard the soft flapping of wings as birds flew into the openings - she knew these birds would warn the travelers of her presence so she just waited to hear the familiar gawk. Quickly, the birds noticed her and alerted everyone of her presence - and just as instantly she heard the slight scuffle of boots on stone above her. Luz waited a moment longer, with eyes closed as she listened further. The vibrations traveling louder, faster, this time as more footsteps approached. She heard the distinct clink of armor clashing together - yes, she knew that sound all too well. 

 

"There seems to be someone in the hall. A mage from what my agents could see. Possibly elven - though they cannot tell from under the hood." She heard the female's voice clearly as their footsteps resonated louder.

 

"I thought you mentioned this place was uninhabited, Solas?" A male asked with a slight hint of annoyance in his remark. 

 

 "Friend or foe?" Asked another female as Luz heard the drawing of a few swords.

 

"Let us find out." 

 

Luz continued to listen as the people made their way closer to where she was located, she could practically feel the Fade engulfing her. They were here.

 

"State your business." Demanded one of the males that had not spoken before. 

 

"I've been awaiting your arrival." Luz responded trying to sound the least bit threatening, "I've come to offer my services to your cause."

 

"Were you expecting a fight- or why do you have a ward surrounding you?" Asked the female whom she had heard so much about from various people, including the spirits. This was the one they were calling Herald. 

 

"Ah, the _Herald_." Luz said as she heard the pull of a drawstring and the force it had on the wood as it was being pulled back. A bow. Were they that afraid of her? No. She knew, they- the _Herald_ , had fought against greater dangers than a simple mage. But the others? Possibly. She had heard the cautiousness behind the male's demand to state why she was here. Luz knew he had to harbor some type of resentment toward her, whether it be because she was an elf or a mage, she was unsure. "I might be blind, but I can still hear."

 

"The archer on the left, pulling back the string on your bow like that is not a good idea since the strain on the wood will only snap it. Old weapons would not do you good in combat against someone  like myself. Although, it won't do you any good in any fight." Luz let the barrier die down as she began to walk forward slowly. "I won't do you no harm, I only come to offer my aid."

 

"Come no closer mage!" The loud voice rang in her ears as she heard the faint wisp of his sword cut through the air in front of him. 

 

"Cullen, please-"

 

"She comes to help. Won't stray you too far from the path, unlike others. She will keep you safe. A friend of the Inquisition." A calm voice added, a voice she knew. "I like her."

 

"Perhaps we should take this elsewhere. There are too many prying eyes." Another female stated as the sound of heels resonated through the hall. "It is clear she poses no threat and was perhaps brought to our cause by a noble. If this is the case, we should treat her as a guest of the Inquisition."

 

"Josephine is right, we could just kill her if she was sent as an assassin." The Herald responded with confidence in her voice. This made Luz smirk under her hood, only slightly - she knew it would not be as easy to kill her as they would hope it would be. 

 

Without wanting to sound too sarcastic Luz agreed with her as she kept her eyes closed and felt the magic around her swirl in different formations. Without another word, she was lead down the hall by Josephine and led down the winding staircase that was situated outside of the hall. She knew that that this would only be the beginning and that many perils would lay ahead for them, but she had to make sure that she was accepted into the Inquisition. The spirits had mentioned how crucial it was for her to be a part of this and how her aid would go by unnoticed, but would help Thedas survive what would be coming. 

 

* * *

 

**| Review |**

 


	2. Chapter 2

"Are you from the Circle of Magi?" Asked the one they had called Cullen. From what Luz had gathered, he had been a Templar and had had first accounts of how the mages were treated. He, of all people, should know that she could not be a part of one. 

 

"No." Luz said as she kept her head low, her eyes still closed. "I don't belong to any circle." 

Luz knew they were in a building near the south side of the fortress, they had walked down paths and up towards many flights of stairs, she felt the energy radiating off the walls. But the most important flow came from the magic that was radiating from the hand that belonged to the Herald, Stefania. The pull of the Fade was too strong to ignore, she knew that there had to be others who felt it, but she had heard nothing from the others who had followed Stefania here.

 

"Is she another apostate like Solas?" Pentaghast asked. She knew all about her family, she knew the stories. The family responsible for the deaths of many creatures. Luz did not hold any resentment toward them, but it bothered her how a family like that could be praised for killing creatures to almost extinction. Of course, Luz knew that Cassandra was a different person, perhaps she was different than the rest. The entire family couldn't be the same and she was the first Pentaghast she had come close to meeting - Luz would certainly not let this encounter go to waste.

 

"The spirits that dwell in the Fade have just asked for me to come here. There is no other motive, but to follow those plans."

 

"I'm weary on having her run around, dear. Just like the other thing." The voice came from behind them, the footsteps approached gracefully; each step taken with confidence. "How do we know she was not sent by Corypheus? It's too much of a coincidence."

 

"Madam De Fer." Stefania began, "I do not believe she was sent by Corypheus. In all honesty, we need all the help we can get. Especially during a time like this when so much was lost in Haven."

The room went silent as everyone began to think about what had just happened in the last few weeks. The Inquisition had gone from having a home to losing that and much more. They had lost many of their people and much of their supplies when Corypheus had attacked them in Haven. It had been something they had not expected, but they should have known it was coming after they were getting too close for Corypheus' liking. 

 

"It is obvious you need to discuss it between yourselves. I will be out in the grounds helping the wounded if you need me." And with that, Luz exited the room and closed the large wood door behind her as she made her way around the fortress wall. She finally arrived at the makeshift camp the healers had set up. She felt the the bodies that lay near the entrance as well as the tents that had now been erected. With one swift motion she set her pack against the wall and walked toward one of the injured who was laying on their back. Luz knelt before them as she placed her staff beside her. She heard the faint sound of their heart beating against their chest. The person had already lost too much blood - she knew she had to summon a spirit to help as many people survive as she could, but the question was if they would allow her to do so. She knew, firsthand, how people reacted to magic and the things it could do; she could not afford to let them see her as a threat. 

Luz also knew that all this death would only attract the spirits, especially when everyone was asleep; though she knew that many would not have the luxury of sleep at a time like this. She knew she would have to do something to help reinforce the Veil. She could practically feel the strands trying to pry open this world - but it was something she could not allow.

 

"He is dying. Feels the blood leaving his body... the burn of the injury at his side." Luz didn't have to see to know who it was. She had heard them speak before. Though the voice was not the same -the words were. "I want to summon a spirit." 

 

Luz stood up as she grabbed her belongings and began to walk around trying to feel the new surroundings around her - trying to find her way around the swarm of bodies that now inhabited the place that had been empty only a few hours prior. She had been impatient and had wanted the group of people to come quickly, but now that they were all here - it made it difficult for her to concentrate on where she was to go. Footsteps were masked by sobbing and groans. The smell of iron prevalent in the air, now made her suffocate in this place. She was accustomed to such conditions, but it didn't mean she had grown to be steel of heart- she was still a person after all. 

 

"What form do you take now?" Luz asked as she stopped suddenly. She could feel the presence. She could feel his connection to the Fade. 

 

"I do not understand... I know you, but you are not the same. Me?" The voice asked. "The smell of iron bothers me, but not as much as it should. Can help the people, but trust..."

 

Luz could feel the familiar presence of a spirit, but she could feel that it was also human. She furrowed her brow in deep thought. "Was it willingly?"

She knew that spirits could take over a human form, but the outcome was not an earthly sight. And although she could not see, she knew that this was not a demon like all the others she had encountered both in the waking world and the Fade. One thing was for certain and that was that this person, or who they used to be was not there anymore. But did the spirit know this? Did it know what it was? Could that person's memories still be prevalent? There were so many questions that were forming in her mind and she knew she would not have enough time to ask them this. 

Luz had forgotten how to interact with others, and this should have not been an exception, she knew that this was not the way to talk to complete strangers even if they weren't actually people. 

 

"Cole." The voice came once more. "You are not like the others. Strong willed, but I can still make you forget."

 

"I will remember. We both know this." 

 

"Perhaps."

 

Luz shrugged as she turned around and began walking back towards the camp in front of the gate. There was so much she had to do - like keeping these people safe, at least keep them alive through the night which would surely bring about demons. She had to make sure that they were kept away from all these people seeing as there were many who were not fit to fight nor ward off any sort of attack; especially not demons. 

 

* * *

 

**| Review |**

Comments, Questions and Suggestions are always appreciated.


	3. Chapter 3

Luz sat perched atop the stone wall that outlooked the makeshift camp after having checked on the wards she had set up around Skyhold to protect the people from any demons lurking behind the shadows. She knew that perhaps tonight would be a dreamless night, she could not visit the Fade at a time like this. She had to be awake and prepared for any sort of movement in the shadows - there was no way in knowing whether or not demons would still try to get passed the various wards so she had to make sure she was ready for anything. 

 

Sitting with her legs dangling off the edge, Luz focused on the sounds below her. She could still hear the cries of various people, although now they had turned into soft whimpers. She heard the soft whisper of reassuring words - although she knew all too well that the words were empty promises. There had been many casualties in Haven and now, at Skyhold, those casualties had increased throughout the day. Luz knew she could save some of these people if only she could summon spirits to help her, but she couldn’t risk coming in contact with a demon - it was almost assured that that would be the outcome if she tried. And although she knew what she was doing and had done it various times before, she knew one could never be too careful. She would not endanger the lives of these innocent people in order to save the few. It was something she had come to understand throughout her life - you could never save all of them; there were always limitations and consequences. 

 

Looking back on her life, it all seemed so minuscule in comparison to what she was tasked with to do now. Listening to what was going on below her had made her start thinking back on how her life had turned out leading up to this exact moment. 

 

“Is this where I should be?” She whispered out into the night as if she were to get a reply from it. She knew there would be no reply, but the whispered words echoed in her earsas they drifted off into the night air. 

 

The question had not been a question for herself, it had become something that she had asked herself too many times, but now that she had actually asked it out loud; it felt more like reassurance than doubt. 

 

She knew that all the decisions she had made had not always been the correct and the most moral ones, but they were her choices. She had made them because she felt they were the right ones and to her, that was all that mattered. Luz liked to believe she did not serve anyone and never would, but deep down she always believed that the spirits led her to certain paths. At the same time, she thought it was for the better, they always led her toward certain obstacles but let her choose in what direction they would end up. Sitting here alone now, as she listened to the people below her she began to wonder in what direction she would led them to. Would she become one of the deceivers or another casualty to their cause of what they believed was for their own salvation?

 

Luz pulled on her hood so it draped lower over her face and stood up on the ledge as if she were about to jump. She felt the surge of the cold air nip at her nose and rustle the layers of cloth she wrapped around her body. She had made her choice. Even though she knew for a fact that the choice would be difficult to keep to, she knew she had to see it through. 

 

 

“It will be difficult, but I will manage.” Cole said behind her. To say the the voice caught her off guard was an understatement as she balanced herself on the ledge.

 

 

“You shouldn’t sneak up on people like that.” She responded as she turned around on her heel and hopped off the ledge to stand next to him.

 

 

“You— You helped them. They don’t know it, but you have.” 

 

“Yes, well. Just don’t go saying that just yet. The night is not over yet.”

 

“They have accepted your help. The spymaster and the templar are still unsure about you. She is doubting her skills because she can’t seem to find anything about you.”

 

Luz knew that someone would try to find information on her, after all they were people who could only trust a few. They could not just let anyone barge in and say they want to help and have them trust that person completely. But, she also knew that because they wouldn’t find anything about her that it would make it harder for some of them to trust her. She did, after all, appear out of nowhere and was waiting for them in a place that was hard to come by. 

 

“And she never will.” She added.

 

“They doubt if following the Herald was a good idea in the end. The stench of burning wood clouding my thoughts as I try to pry open the door. She cries out. Sharp, piercing. I call out to her that I’m trying. The door remains shut. Her scream deafening as the roof collapses. If only she hadn’t been so persistent in staying.” Cole’s voice rose as he finished the last descriptive sentence. She knew that if she visited Haven, the memories there would be of sorrow and nothing more. Then again, she would probably not have the chance to see those memories because she knew Haven was now covered in a thick blanket of snow.

 

“Are you content with where you are now?”

 

“Yes, the tavern was too noisy. The Iron Bull was telling stories about dragons. I like his stories.”

 

Luz couldn’t help but smile at his innocent response. She wished she could be as innocent as he was, but she knew she could never go back to being the innocent little girl she had been. Too much was at stake that she could not risk it.

Here she was, wishing something so foolish while below her some people were trying to fight for their lives. Some had begun losing all hope and had lost someone dear to them - the thoughts began to fill her with guilt and something else she could not say.

 

Before Cole would say anything, and she knew he would comment on what she was feeling at that moment; she thought about something else to talk to him about.

 

“You should go rest.” She said. It had been the only thing that had come to mind. Rest. Although she knew she had to stay awake, it did not mean that she should keep someone else from sleeping. 

 

“I can help.” He responded quickly. 

 

“How-“

 

“Food. The tavern.”

 

“Oh, no. I’m fine. I have to make sure everyone is safe.” 

 

“Have not eaten since this morning. Leftovers from the night before.”

It was true. She had not eaten since the morning - she had become too engrossed in trying to help around Skyhold that she had forgotten to eat something in the afternoon. And now that it was night, she couldn’t leave her post to go eat. 

“There won’t be any trouble. The wards will keep them away.”

 

“I can’t take that chance.” Luz responded.

 

“Yes.” Cole simply said. She knew what he was answering. She knew he would be prying in her thoughts, it had been no surprise. She knew she always trusted the spirits to guide her in the correct direction and right now was no exception. She knew she could trust his judgement - he was after all better suited to know more about this than her. He had a stronger sense if demons were nearby. 

 

“Okay. I will go down to the tavern. But after that you go get some rest.” She said as she began walking towards the stairs.

 

“Yes.” He responded as he followed beside her. 

* * *

 

 

** I'm not sure about this, but I just want the other characters to get involved in this story. Especially Sera and Dorian. I feel like that would be quite interesting.  
As always tell me what you think so far, any suggestions you might have are welcome (as always)... or just anything so I know you are enjoying reading this as much as I like writing this story (finally)! **


	4. Chapter 4

Stepping inside the tavern, Luz instantly felt the warmth greet her as she let her magic stop circulating through her body for the warmth she had needed when she had been outside. She had been so used to it that it felt odd to just feel the warmth without her doing. Along with the warmth, she welcomed the loud conversations going on around her as she could sense multiple bodies inside. She knew, of course, that almost everyone would be inside either drinking, eating or just trying to forget what had happened back at Haven, she could not blame them if the people just wanted to forget all the horrors they had seen. 

 

"The Iron Bull." Cole said.

 

"I see you brought the mage." The sound of his voice a sharp contrast from Cole's soft spoken tone. 

 

"Yes. She didn't want to leave the people unprotected, but she was hungry."

 

"Unprotected? From what exactly?" The Iron Bull asked as Luz noticed his tone change, "We've checked for nearby fade rifts and there are none nearby."

 

"The spirits are attracted to death and suffering. There was, and still is, a lot of pain here. I've set up protection around Skyhold to ensure the safety of the people. I had to do it without notifying anyone, since I'm sure some of these people feel unsure about the use of magic."

 

"I'm sure most people would-"

 

Just as Iron Bull was about to finish his sentence, he was interrupted by another voice.

"Have you not offered a seat to the lovely mage? How rude of you, Bull." 

 

Luz heard the soft thud of and clink of things, most likely a bottle of wine, being set down on the wood table as a pair of hands held her at the arms from behind. 

"Come, sit. Luz was it?"

 

"Yes.." Luz responded skeptically as she was guided towards a seat. If she could open her eyes and use them, she would have been squinting at the person who had taken a hold of her. After all these years, she could never get used to people who were too touchy. Often times, it was a sign that people meant harm and wanted something out of you- she, of course, knew that she shouldn't be letting her guard down. But, if this didn't turn out in her favour, she knew what she had to do. 

 

"I'm Dorian of House Pavus. If you haven't heard,  I'm the good looking mage from Tevinter." 

It was obvious he thought highly of himself, it was only natural if he was from Tevinter. There hadn't been many times she had come across mages from Tevinter, but when she had, the encounters had always been sour- something that she probably shouldn't encourage with Dorian.

She heard The Iron Bull chuckle as Dorian snickered beside her. 

 

"How about some wine, Luz? It's better than any of the foul vinegar tasting wine served here."

 

"She came here to eat, not to get drunk- as I'm sure you are already, Dorian."

 

Ignoring Bull's comment, Dorian poured Luz some of his wine and set it before her. Luz grabbed the wooden mug in front of her and brought it up to her lips as the smell of the alcohol pierced through her senses. The wine was unlike any she had had at any tavern- not that she was an avid drinker, but she would occasionally order a drink when she was trying to relax. especially when she had to travel and find new places.

"Did you bring this from your home?" She asked as she set down the mug.

 

"I bought it off a merchant not too long ago. I grew tired of not having proper wine. I've put in word to have more brought here for the sake of all of these people."

 

Although Bull had begun a new conversation with Cole, he grunted a little at what Dorian had just said. From the few minutes Luz had been sitting there in the presence of these two individuals, she could feel that there was some sort of tension between these two- whether it was positive or negative, Luz was not so sure yet.

 

"Why don't we go and get you some food?" Dorian asked as he stood up.

 

Just as Luz stood up, she felt a hand at her shoulder. She wasn't sure whether Dorian was always touching people, but something told her that it wasn't the case. He most certainly thought that she couldn't go anywhere on her own without stumbling- just because she couldn't see. Luz held in a noise of disapproval that had been forming in her throat as she spoke to him.

"I may be blind, but I can make my way around without assistance. But thank you for your concern."

Hopefully he would not get offended by her statement. The last thing she wanted to do was to create enemies with the people she would need to work with. If she were to gain full cooperation from everyone involved in this inquisition, she would need to gain their trust and not create boundaries with those around her. 

 

"I see." He responded as he let go of her shoulders and began walking towards the side of the tavern to where, she guessed, the bartender was located. She made a mental note as she followed the sound of his light footsteps- the bard's soft singing echoing to her left.

 

"She'll have one of whatever it is you feed people here." Dorian requested as the barkeep replied with a low grunt.

 

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but... you want to ask me something." Luz stated as she reached the table that created a small wall between them and the barkeep.

 

"And here I thought I was the only one who caught on to people's intentions quickly."

 

"If it's about my personal life, I'm afraid you won't learn much."

 

"On the contrary, I just wanted to know why you're here. You say you came here to help, from what I've heard, but is that really the truth? Initially I thought you were here for Alexius, but then I realized that could not be it."

 

Luz knew that it was only natural that he would be suspicious of her intentions especially when she had basically just appeared at a particular moment. To him, it might seem odd and possibly staged- she knew she had to reassure him and ease his thoughts, but she did not know how. There was a low probability of this ending in her favour if she chose the wrong responses.

 

"As I made it clear before, I did not come here without a cause- the spirits guided me here, asked for my help. I do not harm those I have sworn to help. My duty is to make sure everything goes in the correct direction. I will not lead these people astray. You have my word, Dorian." As Luz finished her sentence, a wooden bowl was placed in front of her.It smelled like various meats- stew. 

 

"It's easier said than done." 

Luz heard a slight shuffle to her left where Dorian was located- it was a subtle sound over the other noises that were present in the tavern, but she had heard it. She could feel his gaze on her as the steam from the food that had been placed in front of her was now slowly making its way up to her face. 

"But I won't remain skeptical about you for long. My job is not to watch over the new people, that's a job better suited for the ever so charming, commander."

 

Luz was taken aback at his sudden change of demeanor, it was... unexpected but she was grateful for it. It was always hard for her to be able to interact with people she had to work with- it was always the hardest task. She could kill almost anything with a single twist of her wrist, but when it came to building relationships with those around her- that was always the difficult part. 

 

"What brought you here?" She asked as she twirled the spoon inside of the bowl.

 

"Who's the nosey one now? Lucky you, I _love_ talking about myself. Let's just say I came here to stop one of my mentors, Magister Alexius. And now I've offered my services to this Inquisition, just as you have- only under less mysterious circumstances." 

Luz ate as Dorian continued to talk about himself, something she didn't do often with people. She hadn't come across someone who talked about themselves as much as Dorian- but it was a change seeing as she learned more about him and his home place, Tevinter. 

After what seemed like hours, Dorian finally stopped himself as he yawned, "Oh dear me, I must get my beauty sleep. Hope I didn't bore you- oh who am I kidding, of course I didn't."

Dorian bid his farewell as he left her sitting on the stool- his footsteps louder now as exhaustion had overcome him, but most importantly the tavern had died down a little since she had first entered it.

 

"He's conflicted." Came a voice from behind her. 

 

"About me, I know." 

 

"No, about the magister. Memories of him, helped me learn everything I know and more. How could I let this happen? ... He wants to see him, but he can't. He worries about Felix most of all."

 

Luz recalled the name, Felix. The son of the magister- the one Dorian had spoken about with kind words. "Why didn't he come with his father? It's safer for him here."

 

"He thought it best that he stayed behind. It would only make it harder on my father, Dorian."

 

Luz pursed her lips as the memories began to slip from her mind. She didn't want Cole to describe them out loud, but she knew he wouldn't as long as she didn't allow him to.

 

"Stefania doesn't like me saying people's thoughts. I did not mean to offend anyone, I just wanted to help."

She felt the wisp of him disappearing before she could utter two simple words, "I know."

 

* * *

**Sorry for the delay, but I started school again and I just needed to get situated once more. Will be updating every weekend.  
Any comments/suggestions appreciated! **


	5. Chapter 5

A week had passed since she had been officially greeted into the Inquisition and Stefania Trevelyan was now known as the Inquisitor. In the week that she had been there, the people had been working diligently around Skyhold. The fortress which had been in ruins, now stood proud with life. The main hall had been renovated and now held the throne which was used for judging their prisoners. Although Luz had had a week to introduce herself to the rest of the Inquisition, she had been too busy to do so. She had made it her priority to help the young hunters catch food for all of the people that now called Skyhold their home. Refugees were now beginning to come in small groups and Luz could feel that these groups would only increase in size as word spread about the Inquisition.  

 

Luz positioned herself atop the branch of a tree as she intently listened for any sounds from the snowy ground below her. The harsh and moist branch, cold against her bare feet. She grabbed her dagger from her hip and waited patiently- knowing all too well that any kind of animal would pass by. 

  

The sound of a bow being pulled back quickly made Luz react as she pushed a barrier out toward to where the sound had emanated. 

 

"Shite!" The person exclaimed as they staggered back and withdrew their bow once more.

 

The person was fast, but not fast enough that Luz had a barrier surrounding herself in an instant.

 

 

"That's cheating! How about not using none of that magic shite!"

 

"Why are you here? Bandit?" 

 

The individual who had begun shooting arrows at her, or better yet had attempted to, stopped.

 

"A bandit? Me a bloody bandit?" She asked as she began to cackle, "You're the bandit! Don't act stupid with me." 

 

"I'm with the Inquisition."

  

"Oh shite, you must be the new one. Where did they hide you? Why were you up on the tree like a creep?"

 

"I was hunting for food."

  

"Why don't you just hunt like a normal person? Skyhold sure is full of weird people." There was a slight shuffle before Luz felt hot breath in front of her face, "So what's it like? Must not be afraid of the dark ya?"

  

Although Luz was not necessarily annoyed by Sera’s comments, she really did not want to spend much more time talking when she could be hunting for the food the people needed.  
“I would like to chat some more, but I need to get back to hunting. You should help out too, I’m sure you were already before we became distracted.”

 

“Sour puss!” Sera yelled as Luz walked away. “You are just like the elfy bastard.”

  

Luz pulled her hood forward towards her face as she walked away through the trees. She would have to meet this elf that everyone was always comparing her too. She had yet to meet many that were part of the Inquisition though, and it dawned on her that she would need to get acquainted with them and possibly gain their trust. They had to be able to confide in her if they were to be allies. Luz heard rustling to her left which brought her out of her thoughts. She would worry about the rest of the people she needed to meet later- right now she had to concentrate on just bringing enough game to last the people a few days.

* * *

** So, I lost the chapter I was working on and couldn't retrieve it since it got deleted. But I began working on it again and here it is. This is not the last of Sera and her interaction with Luz, I promise- she has yet to find out more about her.  
As always, be sure to comment and tell me what you think- whether you like it or not. Suggestions always welcome! :) **


	6. Chapter 6

"Luz, what are you doing out here?" 

Startled, Luz looked up to see her father staring down at her- dirt on his face. 

 

"I was waiting for you father," she replied as she stood up and walked up to him, "I made you this."

She opened her hands to reveal a pair of patched up gloves. "I used the skin from the rabbit you brought home the other night. I thought you might need them."

 

Her father smiled down at her as he took them in his hands, "Thank you Luz, they are wonderful- although a bit too small by the looks of it."

 

Luz smiled at him knowing all too well he'd wear them even though they were a little tight. She knew that her father would do anything to make her happy- even if that meant having to wear gloves that were small. 

She glanced up at her father before he disappeared in wisps of light blue light. Luz sat down on the ground as the scene in front of her changed to a blur of greens and blues. She looked down at her hands and saw her small hands- hands that were no longer hers of course. 

Luz enjoyed the time she spent in the Fade, but it wasn't always the best way to spend her time- or her time slept. She loved that she could see familiar things, but hated it when she tried to see further than that. She wanted to see herself now. She did not want to dwell on her past-but that was all she could do. That was all that she had known before her vision was taken away from her. Before all the colours became a blur. Before her world was turned to darkness.

She knew better than to begin feeling negative when she was in the Fade, but it wasn't something that she could control once it started. She knew that she would become vulnerable if she strayed from staying positive. But it always became more difficult as the days went on. Especially on the nights when she was feeling weak. 

 

Luz sighed as she stood up and began to walk into the blur of colours before the scene changed once more. She was back in her village. Back where it all began and ended. The one place she had called home. The one place that had betrayed her. She looked around her as she began to remember what this was going to be about. She remembered this.

 

"What do you want to do Luz? Father won't be back until sun down." 

Luz looked beside her as the familiar face materialized, it was her brother. She looked at his soft brown eyes as they stared at her with question.

"I'm sorry brother." Luz whispered as he disappeared just as quickly as he had appeared. 

  
Luz aimlessly wandered around the village as she came across a few trees that she had never noticed before and only made her become more aware of what was happening. She knew that this could only mean one thing- someone else was here. Luz hoped it wasn't demons, she knew it could be- but she was sure it couldn't be. Sure, demons could be drawn to negative energy quickly, but not like this. She felt the presence of someone, but she couldn't see anyone or anything. Luz stared into the wilderness, beyond the trees, but saw nothing. A few minutes went by without even a sound as everything stood still. The next thing she knew was that she sat there, awake with one question on her mind. What was that?

* * *

 

**I want to delve more into her past so there could be more of an understanding of how and why she's blind (she wasn't born blind). DUN DUN DUN cue tragic music!**


	7. Chapter 7

Luz sat at her usual place atop the walls of Skyhold outlooking the landscape, glistening with snow. She could feel the slight sting of the winter on the tip of her nose- although the weather did not bother her or slowed her down, she was worried for the common fold at Skyhold. She was unsure if they would be able to survive the harsh winters that were to come. She knew that Haven had been just as cold and even though Skyhold seemed like a fortress- it was far from it. The winters were just as harsh if not even more so.

 

It had been a few days since she had been interrupted in the Fade- and she still did not know what it had been. Although she knew it was not a demon, it still worried her. She was not sure if she should keep her guard up even more than she already was. She felt just how she had felt when she had first been delving in exploring the Fade- and the extent of her abilities. It was daunting to know that someone, or something, was watching her and her memories. Who knows what they could want, especially if it was a demon. 

Memories of the first demon she had encountered rushed through her mind as she tried to think about the feelings she had felt upon waking. 

 

 

"Mage. Josephine wishes to speak with you." Cullen's voice called from the far right. She could hear the clank of his armor as he walked back into the building where he spent most of his days. Even though they had seen each other often, the commander still refused to call her anything other than mage. She knew it wasn't out of spite, it was more of a reassurance for himself- as if he would ever forget that Luz was a mage.

 

 

Luz stood up on the ledge of the wall she was sitting at and hopped back as she landed silently on her bare feet.The stone beneath her feet cool as she took one stride at a time towards where Josephine was located. Luz had re-mapped everything in her mind as reparations had taken place around Skyhold, new things had been added left and right and she had to organize each new structure, or object, in her mind. It was not something that was difficult, but it did take some work to remember where each new thing was and where something was moved to. Yet, if she ever did forget where something was, she could always feel the object in front of her before she bumped into it- something that she always did when she passed through a new town. She knew she didn’t have to memorize the layout of Skyhold, but she wanted to get a map of it in her head for safety purposes- just in case she had to act quick.   
  
The door closed behind her as she stepped into the room where Josephine had decided to settle down. She could hear the shuffle of paper and the slight crackle of wood burning in the fire to her right.

Luz made her way towards the desk she knew Josephine sat behind of and sat on one of the large chairs which were placed in front.

 

“You requested I come?” Luz asked, fully knowing the answer.

 

“Ah, yes. My apologies for disturbing you, but I- the Inquisition,” she corrected herself as Luz heard slight movement, something that told her that Josephine was uncomfortable or nervous about what she was going to say. “wanted to know whether you had family that you would like to be brought here before anyone outside of the Inquisition ranks knows you have joined.”

 

 

“No, thank you for the offer.” 

 

 

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know you-“

 

 

“Having lost my family was not implied. I’m sure they will survive well on their own. Besides, the Inquisition seems to not be the safest place, despite what everyone who comes seeking refuge believes.”   
  
  
Josephine remained quiet as Luz heard the rustle of paper again, “There was another matter… Leliana has still not been able to obtain any information on you and some of us are starting to question your intentions.”

 

 

“There is nothing to worry about, you have my word.” Luz said as she remained sitting on the chair, “If the Inquisitor is having second thoughts…”

 

 

“The Inquisitor seems to trust you, Cole has spoken positively about you- says you are not a threat. She believes Cole to be genuine so she trusts his words.”

 

Luz knew that Cole must not had told the Inquisitor a lot about her- if he had, the Inquisitor would not be too pleased with her, especially with the Templar she kept at her side, Cullen. 

 

 

“Does the spymaster wish to speak to me?”

 

 

Josephine laughed from behind the desk, “I have a feeling she will want to do more than just talk- she will want information.”

 

 

“I doubt I have any that would interest her. Where is she at the moment?”

 

 

There was a scraping sound of wood against stone as Josephine pushed her large chair back, “I will show you, come.”

 

 

Stepping out of the room, they walked a few steps before Josephine was stopped by someone who had been waiting in the hall.

 

 

“Ah, Josephine just the person I was looking for.” 

 

“Varric, is this about Cassandra again?”

 

 

“Is this the newest prisoner to the Inquisition?” Varric asked, a deep chuckle escaping his lips. 

Luz had been listening to his words and had immediately realized that the man was low in stature, a dwarf. She heard the humor in every word that had come out of his mouth so far- something that put her at ease. She would not have as much of a hard time trying to befriend Varric, it seemed, he was an easy-going fellow… from what she had heard so far.  
  
  
“You never stop with the sarcasm, now do you?”

 

 

“I try not to. That name’s Varric Tethras, what’s your’s?”

“Luz, pleasure meeting you.”

 

 

“The pleasure is mine. So, I heard you’re the mage who can’t see. I’m curious to know how you don’t bump into things. Especially with Skyhold being renovated by the minute.”

 

 

Before Luz could reply, Josephine spoke up, “How about you go talk to Leliana? She’s right through this door and just walk up the two flights of stairs until you reach the top of the rotunda. Once you smell ravens, you know you’re there.”

 

Luz nodded at Varric before she walked around him. 

 

“Hope to see you around, Luz. I do want to know how you do that.”

* * *

Sorry for the long wait, but I had to rest my wrist and couldn't be typing- but everything seems to be fine now so I will continue to write this story.  
Hopefully I have this chapter by tomorrow because I know some of you want her to meet Solas already. This was just a brief interaction with Varric, because why not right?  
As always, let me know what you think/would like to see! Always open to suggestions. 


	8. Chapter 8

As Luz opened the large wooden door and entered the rotunda, the smell of plaster permeated from around her. Memories flooded her mind as the smell invaded her senses. She remember soft blues and stark greens, a blur of red and blacks. This was one of the rooms she had yet to explore, one of the rooms she had not walked into yet. She walked down the corridor into the middle of the rotunda as the smell grew stronger. She knew the smell well, she had once witnessed the sight of someone painting a grand mural when she was younger. It had amazed her to see such a sight of vibrant colours. 

 

Now as she stood there, she wished she could see what it was that was being painted onto the wall. Perhaps landscapes or the fall of foes. She stretched her hand toward the wall, but suddenly stopped with her fingers outstretched almost touching the plaster. Her fingers tingled as the plaster was almost grazing at her fingertips. 

 

"Yes?" Luz asked as she regained her composure and placed her hand back towards her body. 

 

"Leliana asked to fetch you. She's upstairs." Responded the voice, one of her messengers. She had recognized the voice even though the only times she had heard it, he had spoken in soft whispers.

 

"Lead the way." 

 

Reaching the top of the rotunda, Luz heard all the ravens and the creaks that the wooden floor made. She heard metal being scraped and the sound of feathers rustling. The smell of bird was evident, just as Josephine had warned. The sounds became a little too loud as Leliana began to speak.

 

"I've sent many of my messengers to seek information about you, but to no avail. What is it you are hiding?"

 

Luz tried not to flinch as the sounds now merged into one. She heard feathers rustling, cawing, metal clinging, wood creaking and whispers from below. She heard Dorian laugh and snicker at the book he was reading. It was apparent something was wrong, but she did not know what. She had become accustomed to hearing many sounds at once and not becoming too overwhelmed, but this... something was wrong. Luz grabbed the wooden railing as she bumped her head on one of the bird cages above her.

 

 

"What is it?" She heard Leliana's voice faintly.

 

 

Luz placed a hand to her forehead as she whispered, "Give me Strength."

 

Before anything else happened, Luz felt the surge of magic around her as her grip on the wooden railing tightened- she crouched in an attempt to sway the feeling from returning. The overwhelming sensation came and went like a pop. A silent pop. Her grip loosened as she stood up suddenly- knowing what had happened.

 

 

"Meditation. I need to meditate." 

 

"Wait a minute, I need to-"

 

"No, you won't find anything about me unless I tell you. For the moment, I doubt my life story will be of use to you. Just keep out of it." Luz knew that Leliana would not just listen to her. If anything, this would make her more determined than ever- she knew. Luz could only hope that she was not as good as her reputation said she was- for the sake of the Inquisition's well-being and for hers. She could not go back to the way things were. Not now and not ever. "I will take my leave."

 

Luz walked down the first staircase as she felt the surge of magic coming back to her. She fought off the urge to crouch and walked past Dorian without uttering a word and walked to the next stair case. Once she reached the bottom of the rotunda she was grasping at the nearest wall. She fought the instinct that told her to just stay where she was and kept on walking until she reached the doorway that lead to the small corridor. Becoming too engrossed in her own pain, Luz bumped into something in front of her making her stumble back with a low growl.

 

"Are you alright?" Asked an unfamiliar voice.

 

"Need. To. Get. Out." Luz muttered out as she held on to the stone wall beside her, panting.

 

"Are you hurt?"

 

"No." Luz mustered as she began to crouch. She knew that she could not do this right now. Especially not here. There were too many people right outside that door- she knew. She could still hear their bickering as she tried to breathe to the best of her abilities. "Help. Can't be seen.”

 

There was a moment of silence from the person. Luz could hear her labored breathing ringing through her ears. The sounds were becoming too loud once more as she held onto the wall. 

She focused on her breathing as she calmed herself ones more and began to stand up. As she stood, she felt a hand wrap around her arm as she was helped up. The stranger held her from the arm as she steadied herself and tried to resist the force that was being forced on her. Letting go of the wall she began to walk quickly out of the doorway and quickly out of the hall and onto the large staircase. It took almost all of her strength to walk down those steps and not double over, but with the help of the person next to her she was able to step foot onto the lower part of Skyhold.

 

As soon as she felt the familiar feel of dirt under her feet, she thanked the stranger and hurriedly rushed off to the bottom of Skyhold where she knew would be empty. There were cells that could be used for prisoners, but most of them were rendered useless once you reached deeper into the chamber and noticed that piece of the stone ground was missing. Without paying much attention to her surroundings, Luz staggered out onto the familiar place and sat down in front of the missing floor. She could hear the sounds of water pouring louder than ever and felt the mist that sprayed onto her face as she began to lose herself in her meditative state.  


* * *

I do plan on discussing her blindness as the story progresses and the other characters get to know her better, so that will be coming soon- I hope.  
As always comments and suggestions are always welcome!   
  
This chapter was not planned to come out this way, but I thought about something and want to play with the idea and see if it is something you guys end up liking.


	9. Chapter 9

The ground shifted before her as she opened her eyes and noticed the being before her glistening with an unmistakable aura. Rage. She could feel the heat radiating from it, even though it was a few feet from her. Luz knew that one more step and she would feel herself boiling- the demon knew this too as it stared at her through its beady eyes. The demon grunted as Luz acknowledged its presence.   
  
  
"It is time," it said as the voice echoed around her. The pale green wisps floated in front of her as she searched far off into the distance.  
  
  
"No. At least not yet." Luz replied as she caught a glimpse of a shadow in the distance, "And envy? Did they just send you... again?"  
Luz knew that there had to be an explanation as to why they had sent Rage these past few times. She knew that any other demon would be more calculating than Rage demons. Smarter. Always had plans.

 

"We will take over. You can't control every one of us. Your soul and body will be ours."

 

Luz knew that it was correct. It was only a matter of time before they would take the reigns. They would be able to do whatever it was they wished to do. There was a time when Luz would have been able to fend off Rage, but now there were more than one. Now there were three. Three demons that she would not be able to fend off for much longer. The freedom she had felt whenever she had visited the Fade was coming to an end. She could tell it was only a matter of time before this place would be the only place she knew. It would become her own prison. Her downfall- that's what it would be.   
  
"I will tell you when, just not yet. You have my word. When have I ever let you down?"  
She could tell that Rage did not want to respond because she was right. She had not disappointed them yet.   
  
With a guttural snarl, Rage disappeared with a cloud of black and red smoke. Luz felt the slight sting of the hot smoke against her face and exposed arms. And just as the demon had disappeared, so did the shadow in the distance. The sky returned to its normal shade of green as she remembered how the Fade had looked like when she had first seen it.  
She remembered how she had thought that it had been such a majestic place. A place full of wonders and a place where she could run free and explore as much as she desired. She also remembered how she had gotten herself in undesirable situations especially when she was barely learning about the Fade and its wonders. The places she had seen, the spirits she had met and the demons that came along and tricked her.   
  
"Don't come back until I tell you to!" Luz yelled out into the distance. She knew the demon had since vanished, but she knew they would still be listening to her. 

Luz sighed as she took in one last breath and closed her eyes as she felt the pull of the Fade loosen. She began to hear the slight clinking of rusted metal and felt the mist on her face.  
  
  
"Does the Inquisitor know?"

  
Luz heard the now familiar voice echo behind her. She sat there as she took a deep breath and pulled at her hood, "You should not be eavesdropping."  
  
  
"Oh? Inexperience is what causes the demons to become attracted to you."

 

"Inexperience?" Luz asked as she stood up but kept her back to the voice. She heard rocks move below her as they fell down through the gaping hole in the ground. "You come to talk about inexperience when you so blatantly appear in the Fade. Did you want me to see you? Is that it?"

 

There was a low sound of wind as Cole appeared, Luz had become used to his presence that she could feel him before he even made his presence known. 

"There is no need to worry Solas. She means well."  
  
  
"Solas? The name suits you well I presume." Luz said as she turned around. "I should have known you were here. You have a strong connection to the Fade- there's no denying it."

 

"He studies the Fade. He understands me better than anyone else in the Inquisition. Just as much as you do." Cole replied in a low voice. Luz heard footsteps as he slowly came toward her and stood beside her. "Maybe he can help."

 

"There must be a reason why those demons are after her. Perhaps foolishness? Unless you corrupted them." Solas spoke in a monotone voice- almost as if he was judging her. She knew he was, he had to be.  
  
  
  
"Foolishness. I was very young."

 

"Ha. And what is it they promised you? Wealth? Wisdom? Revenge?" Solas asked, his voice rising as each question escaped his mouth.

  
Luz stayed silent, she was not sure whether she wanted to tell this stranger what it was the demons had promised her. Surely, she couldn't put her trust in this person, even if Cole trusted him.  
  
"Life... and death. The balance in between the two worlds. A father and a brother. The lost and the found."   
Luz turned her head slightly toward the sound of Cole's voice as he spoke. She should have known that Cole would have spoken for her- it was something that he had been doing ever since they had first spoken. "Yes."  
Cole had spoken again, but this time it was not for her. Cole had answered Solas, she knew. That was the only other explanation. She could wonder what the question had been, but she would get no answer.   
  
  
"I will help the Inquisition first. Once the demons have possessed my body and I have become an abomination, I will have gone. No harm will come to the people here, I give my word." Luz said as the sound of a raven gawking rang through the sky above them. 

 

"Solas can help." Cole said quietly.

 

"I cannot become a part of this Cole. All I can do is not let anyone know about this, but I am afraid that is all I can do." Luz heard the slight shift of gravel to her right as Solas spoke again, "I have some business to attend to, excuse me."

 

Once Solas was gone, Cole began to speak again, "He will help. You won't become an abomination. Light and swift as a rat."

 

"I can manage on my own Cole." Luz snapped as she began to walk towards the door way, "Stop making a mess of things please. I can't have people knowing about my personal affairs."

 

"But Solas is unlike the others. He knows-"

 

"No Cole." Luz stopped and grabbed the stone wall with one her her hands, "Imagine what they might do to me if the others were to find out about this. Some of them still don't trust you. They would execute me. They'd assume I was already possessed by a demon."  
Luz sighed, "I'll talk to you some other time, okay? And no more of this."

 

Luz wanted to be mad at Cole, but she knew that this would only make her weak. She couldn't let the negative emotions within her rule and control her- she had to understand. Cole was only trying to help, she knew that. But his help might only get her killed. He could not be so careless- she should not be so careless. Trusting that a stranger wouldn't follow her. She should have kept her guard up, but she also knew that it had been impossible when she was trying so hard to control herself. There was no way she could have been aware of her surroundings, everything had been so loud.   
Luz mumbled under her breath as she walked out onto the main gates and onto the surrounding walls of Skyhold- she knew she needed to prepare for the coming months. Things were sure to only get worse. She walked passed the familiar area where she knew bows and arrows would be laying around and grabbed a bow and a few arrows. Slinging the bow over her shoulder, she made her way out towards the wilderness and into the trees. She needed to get more food for the villagers and for herself, it was only a matter of time before she would have to leave with the Inquisitor. Today's incident had been a reminder that her senses needed some tweaking, in the face of danger there would be no excuses. She needed to be ready for anything- and she would be, even with demons within her.

* * *

**What did you guys think of this chapter? Yay or Nay? Suggestions and Comments always welcome!**


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter has a /bit/ of violence. Read at your own discretion. 

* * *

  
Luz was not sure why this had to keep happening. She knew how to mend the Fade to her will- she knew how to control it. But there was always one memory that seemed to always play out for her in the Fade. She was almost sure that she loved to see it play out- she loved to torture herself. In fact, this memory was not just one, but a few mixed together. It had all become one big blur by now. It seemed as if it had all happened in the same night- when in reality it had happened on separate occasions. 

 

Luz sat in front of the fire as she watched the embers flicker orange and red. The pot full of soup and meat boiled in the centre as her brother, Mikael, worked on the anvil a few feet in front of the fire. 

 

 

"What time will father be here today?" She asked as she sat there still looking at the fire. The flames of golden reds danced in front of her- the heat warming her skin.

 

 

 

"Won't be long now," Mikael responded as he hammered on the blade he had been working on for the last half hour, "He's never late, don't worry."

 

 

 

Luz looked up as she stared at her brother. She was surprised at how well she could still remember how he looked that night. His black shaggy hair, pale freckled skin and brown eyes that glistened with each spark as he hammered down on the dagger. Although Mikael was only a few years older, he still seemed like a giant to her. It seemed as if she would never grow up to be just like her brother. 

 

Even as she saw him now, after all this time, she knew she had not turned out like him. He will always be the better person, or was- something that made Luz flinch. 

 

All Luz wanted to do right now was take hold of her brother’s hand and run off, never look back at what was about to unfold. Shield him from the truth. The betrayal. 

 

Luz looked over at her brother one last time before she stood up and looked to her right, into the road that connect to the markets. There she saw the burley figure that approached them silently- something was hung over their shoulder. How could she ever forget what this man looked like? It’s something that was burned in her memory.

The moonlight cast shadows over the balding man, but his eyes shined with an eerie faint green glow. His stature was enough to intimidate anyone, but his face showed no emotion- something that still sends shivers down Luz’s spine. 

 

Before long, the man is in front of her and drops the large brown sack in front of her.

“The gold, where is it girl?” The man spat out as Luz glanced down at the sack with a confused stare.

 

“And who might you be?” Asked Mikael behind her. He was holding the dagger in one hand as he approached Luz with one arm over her shoulder.

 

“Your father owed me money.” He grunted.

 

Luz began to carefully examine the sack now, as it lay there. Something seemed off, she could tell. The sack was very large for it to be full of vegetables- it was odd. She noticed the stains on it- a dark brown looking color, mostly on the edges of the bottom of the sack. 

 

“Father is not home.”

 

“Oh? But he is.” The man said. Luz looked up at the man then, his eyes fixated on Luz, “You know.”

 

Luz’s gaze slowly made its way toward the sack again. She looked right back up at the man as he grinned once more.

Something had told her that this was not a good sign. This was not something that happened. Especially not to her or her family. 

 

“No… Father?” Luz asked in disbelief. The realization hit her, hard. A bit too hard.

“No, you couldn’t have.. Not father.”

 

“But I did little girl. Now, where’s the money?” 

 

“No..no..” Luz whispered to herself as she tried to control herself. 

 

Mikael quickly bent down beside her, setting the blade in front of Luz as he opened the sack. As soon as he opened the sack, the smell hit them. The smell of iron, blood, overcame their senses. Mikael said nothing as he stayed bent on both his knees, in shock, as he stared at his father- a bloody mess. 

 

“No..no..” Luz whispered again as she felt the tears leave her eyes. Before she could think, she grabbed the dagger and quickly launched herself forward at the man. The man, who had probably a lot of years of experience in hand to hand combat, grabbed her by the arm. He snatched the dagger from her grasp quickly as Luz began to kick him. Everything happened so fast that Mikael had no chance to respond before the man swiped the blade across Luz’s face. 

With a scream, the man let go of Luz as she collapsed to the ground with a loud thud. Being dropped on the floor was nothing like the hot pain she felt on her face. She felt blood stream onto her hands. She felt the burning sensation across her eyes as she lay there grasping at her face. Trying to stop the blood, but it came out in a stream. 

 

“LUZEA! LUZEA!” A name that she had not heard in such a long time. The screams come fading in and out as she tries to calm herself. She feels the hotness in her eyes. It burns. She’s not sure if it’s the tears that burn or if it’s the blood. Either way, the throbbing pain was soon replaced by a strange sensation inside her body. She felt everything around her in strange vibrations as she felt herself stand up. Keeping her eyes closed, to keep the tears, or mixture of tears and blood, from burning her eyes. 

 

“Why father?” Luz asked as she felt something in her switch on. “Why?”

 

“He had it coming.”

 

“Luzea, luzea.” Ignoring Mikael’s shouting, Luz stepped toward the man. 

 

“I will kill you myself.” Luz whispered just enough so that the man heard her. She heard him snicker beneath his breath.

 

Even now, Luz never knew what happened next. After a few moments of pitch darkness came the red coloured darkness. Mikael’s voice came ringing back in her ears as well as distant shouting. She felt the burning sensation come back to her eyes as she tried to open them to no avail. 

 

“Luzea!” Mikael’s voice came again as she felt him tug on her arm, “We have to leave, now. They’ll hang us.”

 

“B-but fa-father..” Luz could barely make out the words as she gasped for air.   
  
“There’s no time, come on get on my back. Just like when we play.” 

Luz felt around as she felt her way around his shoulder and neck, she held on tight as he took hold of her legs and began to run. 

 

All Luz could thinking about was the stinging pain that followed- it became unbearable as the moments pressed on. The smell of iron now permeated her sense of smell as she buried her face on her brother’s shoulder.   
  
  
“It’s going to be alright. We’ll be alright. You’ll be alright.” Luz heard the slight tremble in his voice as the branches grazed her head. She knew he was trying to stay strong, but this was all too unreal- these things shouldn’t happen.   
Mikael had always been this way- always tried to take on the role of the brave big brother; of someone she could count on. Of someone who could not be brought down by things like these; always the stronger one. She had caught early on that things always affected him just like things affected her- he was not as invincible as he made himself seem. She had seen him crying on the side of the house late one afternoon- for what, she had never found out. Luz had never told her brother about this; she knew it would upset him. He wanted her to know that he could be someone she could lean on in the toughest of times.   
  
The ragged breathing came heavy now- her brother was very physically able, but he had been running with her on his back for quite some time now. Everything seemed like miles away- perhaps because all she could do was rely on the sounds. The last thing she heard was someone yell and Mikael stopping abruptly. 

 

She awoke to the sound of talking- her brother and unfamiliar voices to be exact. 

 

"Alzari!" She heard someone shout to her immediate left, "She's awake."

 

Luz felt cloth over her eyes as she tried to understand what was happening- she reached for the cloth but was stopped by the person who had been sitting by her, "You shouldn't, it needs to heal."

 

"What? Where's my brother?" Luz asked confused as laid still on her back. "Where am I?"

 

"You were injured. We tried the best we could." Luz began to remember what had happened. Her father, all the blood, the smell of iron... then darkness. "We're not sure whether you will be able to see again."

 

"Where's my brother." Luz said as she tried to not think about what the person had just said. "You must be lying."

Luz stood up abruptly and removed the cloth from her eyes. Luz opened her eyes- or better yet, tried to. The sharp pain jolted her forward as she tried not to yelp in agony- but a low growl escaped her. 

"Where's my brother?!" Luz screamed in a fit of rage. This could not be happening right now. Surely she would wake up from this nightmare. It was just not possible. This was not real. It couldn't be real. This was not how her life was supposed to be. She would wake up any minute now. She had to. "Mikael!"  
Luz expected to hear the sound of her brother's voice, but it never did come. 

* * *

 

 

** | Review | **

 


	11. Chapter 11

Luz knew that days had passed. But the memories seemed to be all blurred together now- as if it was all one frame. 

 

Her brother had left- she had been aware of that after the people had told her. That was all that had been told to her- she had not heard anyone else's voice for two days now. She had been in the same place when she had first woken up confused to the sound of her brother's voice outside. Her cloth around her eyes had been changed the night before- the only reason she knew it had been during the night time was because she could smell the burn of the torches and firewood outside. 

 

Food was brought in for her to eat- usually soups with meats and bread. She had not eaten during the first few days; her appetite had been nonexistent when all of her thoughts had been centered on everything that had transpired.

 

The lack of vision did not help at all. Everything was in darkness. She was not sure if she was dreaming or awake anymore. Everything felt the same. One big mess. This was all a mistake. She felt like she had upset the Maker- surely now she had no one. Luz had begun to believe that the Maker was not real- there was no way that they'd allow something like this to happen to her when she had done nothing wrong. She was sure she hadn't. Losing her belief in the Maker had not been something that Luz had been planning, but it now seemed pointless to believe in something that did not care about what happened to her. She would not waste her time on something so meaningless. 

 

Luz knew that she was angry. Terrified, even. She did not know what she was going to do now. How could she know? She didn't even know where she was. Or much less, who she was with. With the abandonment by her brother, Luz was lost. Everything she had known, everyone she had ever cared for was now gone. Being a child complicated things even more. She wasn't sure what would happen to her. 

 

Luz only hoped that her brother had not left her with people who would harm her. She had been wondering what her brother had told them. Did he even tell them anything at all before he had left? 

 

Even if he had, it wouldn't matter. Luz would soon find out that it did though. 

 

 

 

After a while of not leaving where she had been placed at until she recovered, Luz finally emerged from the small hut, with guidance from her hands along the wooden walls. It felt bizarre after days of not moving and walking- like she had become accustomed to the darkness that now engulfed her. Wherever she walked- pitch black followed. The colours that once invaded her- were now gone. It was more than darkness though. It was something she had never experienced- not even when she had closed her eyes when she could still see. It was as if there was just a void. She imagined what the colours she had been fond of looking at- looked like. She tried imagining the sensation of seeing again. The bright light on her eyes as she tried to look at the fire for too long- the burning, stinging sensation. 

Luz was tired. She was tired of imagining so many things that were not there anymore. The colours, the light, the darkness, her father and her brother. She wished she didn't have to imagine those things. She wished she at least still had her brother. But she didn't. She had nothing. That was the reason she had been in the hut for too long. She didn't want to move- didn't felt like she could. She was not weak, she was not sick- the dull ache on her eyes had long subsided, but she still felt like she couldn't do anything. Luz didn't want to. 

The anger and distrust had been building up inside of her. She had begun having strange visions when she closed her eyes, only to awake to the void. She saw strange greens and reds and something calling her name in the distance before she would wake up to nothing. She had kept this to herself for fear that something she said would be the wrong thing. She wanted to know who were the people she had been left with first before she could share such things.

 

"Luzea? Did you need something?" Said a familiar voice. It was Sayera, the person who had been beside her when she had first awoken. It had been the only voice she had been hearing since she had been here- always talking to her. Sayera had stopped talking to her though- after Luz had told her to stop talking to her. It had been rude, but she couldn't take all the talking while she was still trying to think and sort things over.   


Sayera had been a Tamassran before she had left the settlement Kont-aar. She had given herself to the life of priestess before her belief in the Qun began to waver. From what Sayera had said, after a few more years of the same routine she just left one day without anyone knowing. She did not know where she was going, but she knew she had to go. The Qun had not been for her after all. Sayera had thought it strange that she could change her mind so easily after years of training to get to where she had been. The seers she had met along the way had conversed with her in great detail about what she was going to do months before she had actually left the settlement. In the end, Sayera had found this group of people while she had been wandering in the outskirts of Rivain- they had welcomed her despite her recent ties to the Qun. 

 

Luz hesitated by the doorway as she tried to listen to the sounds outside of her door. "No. I wish to speak to Alzari."

 

"I don't think that'll be possible. He went to scout the area to the west of here." Luz heard crackling as Sayera continued to speak, "We have to keep moving. One of the scouts mentioned people looking for you."

 

This meant that they were not far from where father's house was. She could probably still go back and have a proper funeral for him- unless the village had gotten to the bodies first and had already burned them both. She grimaced as she remembered how her father had looked inside of the sac. The smell of all the blood. 

 

"Why don't you come sit- I've been meaning to ask you something." Luz stood by the doorway with her hand on the wood.

 

"I don't even know where you are. Much less where I am."

 

Luz heard Sayera laugh as she stood up and walked up next to her. Luz felt Sayera's large hands on her arm as she guided Luz to a seat in front of a fire. It continued to crackle as Luz sat down cross-legged next to Sayera. 

 

"Your brother, he told us about what happened. Do you remember?"

 

Luz was not sure what Sayera meant by the question. Luz was not sure what it was she was asking exactly. Was she talking about her father. Perhaps they were wondering who the man was. "About?"

 

"Your abilities." 

 

Luz was confused. What abilities was she talking about. All she remembered was seeing her father in the bag, and then finding out that the man was dead. She did not recall anything about abilities. 

 

"Mikael told us about the magic. He saw you killing the man. It all happened fast. Swift. Merciful I suppose, from what he described. Bas Saarebas. You are a mage."

Sayera continued talking as she described what happened to mages within the Qun. Luz was too bewildered to pay any attention. A mage. She was a mage. But how was this possible? 

"Your brother... he had been okay with your- with you not really being his real sister. But the magic. It scared him." 

It had never been a secret that Mikael had not really been her brother. But he had always treated her as such since she could remember. Their father had brought Luz home after he had found her in a wreckage just outside of the village. He had hidden her until people had forgotten about the wreckage. Her father had seen that the baby he had brought home was not human, but an elf- something that had not bothered him in the slightest. He had not had the heart to just leave an innocent out in the wilderness to be eaten by rabid animals or be sold into slavery. Their father had kept this a secret- even from Mikael at first; for fear that he might tell some of the local children. The only thing that Mikael and Luz shared in appearance was their black hair. Where Mikael had cool, porcelain freckled skin- Luz had golden, tan skin. Although it was apparent to her father that she was an elf- Luz did not have as big of eyes as most of them had. Something that helped Luz conceal her elf heritage from prying eyes. 

When Mikael had finally found out that she was an elf- he did not hesitate, he accepted her just the same. She was his sister now and that was all that mattered. No pointy ears were going to make a difference. He had showed her the same love he had always showed her- even then he had always been protective of her no matter what and that was another thing that had not changed... until that moment.   
  
"I saw how mages were treated within the Qun. They were not trained.. I also witnessed how seers took in their peers who wished to learn. It's something that has stuck within my thoughts. Alzari thought it best I taught you how to wield your magic. Who better than someone who used to look down on people like you right?" There was a crack, like the sound of a branch breaking in half, to her left where Sayera was sitting. "I learned how to fight without using my hands at a young age before I became a Tamassran. Even after I left- I learned how to use my other senses rather than using sight. Sound is just as great of a weapon. People may underestimate you when they find out you have no sight- but that won't matter when they're lying at your feet."

 

"How will you teach me how to control myself if you have no magic yourself?" Luz finally spoke as she sat there, thinking about what Sayera had just said.

 

"I raised many different children. They are each different- but in the end you learn so much without actually being them. I've seen how mages are controlled by the people. It is not something I believe in anymore. There was a time when I was also only used as a weapon- I would not like that to happen to you. You are your own person and you are the only one who will know how to use your own abilities. Whether it is for your own gain or for others is the least of my concerns. You are a young child in need of care- and I know how to do that well. No one in this camp is better suited than myself- Alzari knows this. We will learn together, Luzea."

* * *

**  | Review | **

 


	12. Chapter 12

_ Chapter has violence/death. Read at your own discretion.  _

* * *

 

Luz had been training under Sayera for some years now- with each year getting more and more difficult. She often wished that the training would end, but it never did. They moved from encampment to encampment while the training stayed the same. The only constant in her life was now the training and Sayera telling her she was doing something wrong. Luz was beginning to tire of the training as well as the rag she still wore around her head to keep her eyelids closed at all times- she wasn't sure why it mattered, if she had lost all sense of sight. But, Luz had asked Sayera, when she was barely a few weeks into her training, if she could take off the rag, but Sayera had explained to her that it was to keep her safe. She still did not understand why, but she had obliged.

 

"Twist your leg slightly to the right. Bend at the knee." Sayera's booming voice rang through her and slithered it's way into her thoughts.

 

Luz did as she was told, she always did. And although she hated the training and everything about it, she knew that it would come in handy sometime. There would be a time when she would need to protect herself- a time when no one would be there to help her. She would have to rely on what she had been taught, and this was the only reason she stayed and listened to Sayera.

As the day droned on Luz grew more and more restless as she knew it would almost be time to go get some rest. This had been her routine. It had all been training and then sleep. On the days that she did have a break of training- it would be to walk to the next destination. 

The crackling of a fire nearby alerted her of the time. The smell of meats and burning wood clouded her thoughts as Sayera told her that training was finished for the day. After grabbing a bowl of food, Luz sat near the hearth and began to eat.   
For a while the only sounds she heard were of people talking and laughing, the stirring of pots and spoons, and the anvil being pounded on as Daniel tried to make another short dagger. The camp was rather cheery, something that was uncommon- she had only been here a couple of weeks and had only heard this type of excitement from those in the camp, twice. The tone of the camp made her feel bitter and slightly guilty as she had been thinking about how bad her training was. She knew it wasn't all bad and that Sayera had begun to teach her of her own free will- and for that, Luz was eternally grateful. Luz knew that she wouldn't have been able to survive this far without Sayera and her teachings. She had already learned so much in the few years that they had been together and she knew that if they kept this up, she would be able to get to her full potential in a few more years. Sayera had not taught her how to wield her magic, but instead had taught her how to defend herself without the use of magic. The teachings that Sayera had bestowed upon Luz had helped her be able to control her magic better though, what had been chaotic at first, was now under her control. Luz had been practicing her magic whenever she got time alone to herself- which was rare, but the few times when she did, she made sure to practice. Her hands were the only weapon she ever needed. At first, a flare of her hand would create a crackling ball of fire that would flicker and die off as soon as she had conjured it, but after a while, the ball of fire grew and turned in her hand as it became more stable. There were times when the ball of fire would dance in front of her as she waved it around in her fingers. 

With the abandonment by her brother, the visions during her sleep had become more frequent and violent. The anger and loss she felt would only fuel these as she had tried to get away from the nightmares- but they were always the same, just as they had been for the past few years. She saw her brother and her father, but somehow, deep down, she knew it wasn't them. Their faces began to become distorted as they yelled at her- things she would never hear from them, especially not her father. Although the dreams had become worse, she always got away just in time, often times thinking of better times with her brother or father. She knew it was probably her fault that she had these terrible dreams, she couldn't stop thinking about her brother and father. There was too much left unresolved. She missed them both just the same and she hoped that her father's body had been taken care of and that her brother was alive and well.

The sound of an arrow whisking through the air caught her off guard as it flew and struck something, or someone, with a loud thud.   
Luz stood up as she heard the sound of someone howling- the warning that they were under attack. Luz dropped her bowl and dashed toward to where the sacs of food were located and hid there until she was able to listen to what was happening. She heard yelling as women and children scattered throughout the camp, the sound of things breaking and the clanking of metal rang throughout. Luz tried to focus on one thing at a time, but it was too difficult. She had never been in such a situation and she knew that now was not the time to freeze and do nothing. Luz stood up once more and dashed from behind the sacs towards the sounds of screaming children as she felt a large hand grab her from one shoulder and push her hard towards the ground. She heard the sound of metal scratch up against leather as she slid out of the way just as the sword hit the ground. Luz felt the vibration beneath the soles of her feet as she stood up quickly and took out her dagger from her belt and sank the blade into the person's left foot. She heard the loud yell from the man as he tried to strike her again with his sword, but she ducked once more and sank her blade onto his right foot and slid it across as she heard the tear of leather and flesh. The man yelped in pain once more as he swung his sword once more, but failed to strike her as she jumped in front of him, grabbed his hair and drove her blade in the side of his neck and slide it across as she felt the blood gush out on her hand and felt as a few specks flew onto her face. She heard the gurgling sound that came from the man as he fell back as she jumped off him. The sound of his gurgled breathing echoed through her as she became light-headed, but now was not the time to start feeling sorry for him. She held onto her dagger tightly as she drove the blade onto his chest, one last time. As the gurgled breathing came to a stop, she heard an arrow whisking through the air as she ducked and ran towards the children. 

"Mama," several children cried out as they desperately tried to look for their mothers. The frantic cries echoed through the camp as mothers tried to search for their children. 

"We need to get your out of here. Grab the children." She told the few mothers that were already there as she led them towards the back of the camp to where she had found an opening which led to the outside. This was where she had snuck off to on several occasions in order to get some of her alone time. "If I find any more, I will bring them here."  
Luz did not wait for a response as she left back towards the main camp where the disaster was the greatest. She leapt upward toward the roof of one of the houses and ventured quietly across the roof as she slid down toward an open window. She stayed on the window with both feet on the frame as she listened for any sounds of distress from the inside. 

"Hey you, come here!" Someone yelled as she climbed upward, but felt as a hand took a hold of her left ankle. She struggled for a few seconds before she began to kick whoever it was that was holding onto her until they let go. She heard a woman screaming to her left as she quickly ran across the roof and slid down on the side of the house as she sprinted toward the screaming. She heard the cackling of two men as she jumped on one of them and dug her fingers into his eye sockets as he let out a scream of his own. 

"Run!" Luz told the woman as she held on tight to the man as he tried to pry her off of him. Luz heard as the other man unsheathed his own dagger and aim towards her as she moved quickly out of the way. She heard as the dagger was plunged into the man's back as he tried to pull it out quickly. The man fell to his knees as Luz dived towards the other man's legs and kicked him hard on his knees as he fell back with a loud crunch. Luz grabbed her own dagger and drove it in between the man's chest twice as she jumped back up and kicked the other man on the side of his face. After showing the woman where the others had gone, Luz walked back toward the main area of the camp only to find a woman waiting for her. Luz heard the quiet gasps coming from the boy that the woman held in her grasp. From the gasps that the boy exhaled, Luz knew that the woman had an advantage over him so she began to prepare for the worst.

 

"Don't hurt him." Luz calmly stated as she stopped in her tracks, "How about you let him go and take me instead?"

 

"Why don't I just take both of you?" The woman responded as Luz focused her attention on the sounds coming from the two people in front of her. She began to hear the light tightening of cloth as she realized that the woman had tightened her grip on the boy's shirt. 

 

"Wouldn't it be better to just take a mage?" Luz asked as she felt her fingertips tingle as she began to conjure a small ball of fire. "I'll let you take me without a fight... Just let the boy go."

 

"Why the cloth on your face, girl?" The woman mockingly asked.

 

"What do you say? A mage for a boy. That would surely be more useful." Luz could now hear the woman breathing in front of her, the slow and calm exhale. If only she could be sure that she'd be able to use her magic against the woman without hurting the boy... The ball of fire on her fingertips slowly began to die out as she held her hands out in defeat. "So what's it going to be?"

 

"How will I-"

 

"You have my word." Luz stated blandly as she held her hands out even further in front of her. 

 

Luz heard the sound of leather against leather as the woman stepped forward with the boy still in her grasp. "Tie it around her wrists."

She felt the tug of a leather belt on her wrists as the boy did as he was instructed. When the belt had been securely wrapped around her wrists, the woman let go of the boy as he quickly ran. Luz felt the woman grab her violently and heard the sound of something else being dragged against leather. 

"No!" Luz yelled as she quickly conjured up a ball of fire and threw it at the woman's face just in time before the woman was able to throw the dagger at the running boy. 

The woman grunted heavily as she tugged at the leather belt, "You little -"

Before anything else happened, Luz was being dragged out of the camp quickly as the fighting continued. That would be the last time she would see Sayera and would be training under her. That would be one of the last times she would feel she was a part  of something more- something good, without harming others for no reason.

* * *

**| Review |**

As always tell me what you think! Sorry for the long wait!


	13. Chapter 13

Days had passed since Luz had turned herself in to the people that had begun to attack the camp. She was unsure of where she was and who she was with- all she knew was that she would be sold off for as much coin as possible. The first thing that had happened as soon as their leader had seen her was their insisting about the cloth around her eyes; even then, the cloth had been forcefully pulled down revealing her closed eyelids. She heard as one of the individual's breath hitched in their throat as they saw the large scar across her face. The only reason Luz knew about the scar was because she had felt its rough ridges late one night. She was aware at how the scar might scare off potential acquaintances, it had done so in the past- which was probably beneficial that Sayera had insisted on her wearing the cloth around her eyes in the first place. After a brief seconds of silence, someone had pointed out about her large ears. They had mentioned a word that Luz had never heard before, "knife-ear". And although she had never heard it, she knew it was not something good- the individual's tone of voice when the words had rolled off his tongue had been filled with disdain.

 

The only thing that had been on Luz's mind was Sayera and whether she had survived- as well as the many children and their mothers. She was sure that Sayera could hold her own against whatever was thrown her way, she had survived worse... but the children. At this point, Luz knew that there was no way that Sayera would ever find her and she had come to terms with it as the days had passed by. It depressed her just thinking about losing another person who had grown to be important to her. What a luck she had right? Always losing those closest to her.

 

It pained her to finally realize that she would miss those days of training under Sayera, now that Sayera would no longer be a part of her life, she kind of regretted the resentment she had felt when she had to wake up early in the mornings to start her day, and go to sleep tired and sore.

 

"Get up, knife ear." A man kicked her on the side as she was lying on the hard ground. "Now!" He yelled this time as he kicked her again.

 

Luz stood up quickly and silently as the man then shoved her as he held her from her tied hands. "Someone was willing to pay a lot of money for you."

 

"Where am I going?" Luz asked as she tried to listen to her surroundings. She kept hearing the same laughter and the crackling of fire. She heard a few mutters and grunts from people as they passed by- she knew it was about her, but decided to pay no attention to that.

 

The man didn't reply to her question and instead shoved her towards another body in front of her.

 

“This is her,” replied the man who had now taken a hold of her tied hands. She heard murmurs coming from in front of her and some shuffling of feet on the dead leaves below their feet.

 

“And the scar?” Asked a new voice. A calm voice.

 

“She came to our possession like that,” replied the man.

 

There was a few more murmurs and what Luz could decipher as another language, so there was not much that she could understand.

 

“We’ll take her- just as previously agreed.”

 

__________

 

 

Luz had thought the worse when she had been pushed into a cart as the voices began speaking fervently amongst themselves in the language that Luz had never heard of before. After a day, she had been taken out from the cart and had been cut loose from the makeshift chains that the other people had put her in initially.

 

“Follow me,” said a soft spoken voice, a woman who had taken Luz’s hand had begun to guide her. “I won’t hurt you. We won’t.”

 

Luz was unsure of whether this was for her assurance or for the woman’s, but she followed her as she felt the ground beneath her change from wet earth and grass to smooth rocks.

 

“How long has it been since you bathed?” The woman asked as Luz had began to listen to the soft murmur of water and the buzzing of the bugs around them.

 

“A few days, maybe a week? I’m not so sure,” said Luz as she let go of the woman’s hand and combed her fingers through her rough, blood dried hair.

Luz heard shuffling from where the voice had come from as the woman began to disrobe- it was logical.

It was not like Luz was shy about bathing with other people, she couldn’t see them so why would she have to worry? But, this was a stranger- someone whom she had never met nor talked to until now. Is this how people acted when they first met someone? Would a normal individual bathe in the presence of a stranger?

 

“Come on, don’t be shy. The men are not here, we have our privacy,” the woman responded as Luz heard the splashing of water.

 

“It’s not that what I’m worried about. It’s you, I don’t know who you are.”

 

“Varania. Now come on, the men won’t wait forever.”

* * *

 

Sorry for the long absence, but I'm back!  
Also sorry for the short chapter, but yeaaah. I'm bringing Varania into this. Because why not?


	14. Chapter 14

It had been a few months since Luz had been traveling with the group of people who had bought her from the others who had captured her. She had grown to become acquainted to the only other woman, Varania, and another boy within the traveling group. From what they had told her, most of the group were mages from Tevinter or just slaves who had been freed from their shackles. The group, who would rather stay hidden, were not really known by outsiders other than the ones who were in the group. They rescued mages, especially elves, from slavery or from anywhere that their ears led them to. Luz had not been the first mage they had rescued from the people who had captured her, although they were known to mistreat elves, they had been careful with Luz simply because the group had offered a lot of gold in exchange for her safekeeping. Regular business partners.

 

“Does it hurt?” asked Amatus as they sat around the crackling fire eating broth.

 

“What?” Luz asked as she continued eating, confused by his sudden question.

 

“The scar. I mean, I didn’t want to ask when we first met, but we’re acquainted now so I thought-“

 

Amatus was someone who kept talking even when it was evident that he shouldn’t be, one of his only weaknesses, “No, of course not. Why do you ask?”

 

“I was just wondering. But, also, I made you this,” he said as she heard him shuffling beside her. He grabbed her free hand and placed what felt like a tightly wrapped leaf of some sort. Luz rolled it between her fingers as she felt the soft leathery feel of the tightly bound leaf. “It’s supposed to help with scarring. I read it somewhere in a book once.”

 

Luz was unsure of whether to feel offended or grateful of what Amatus had handed her. She chose the latter, “Thank you. I’ll lather it on tonight, I guess.”

 

“You’re welcome. I just thought that maybe it would help. I mean- I don’t think you look horrible with it, I was just-“

 

“It’s okay, Amatus,” Luz laughed as she placed the leaf inside one of her pouches, “I do appreciate it.”

 

Amatus loved learning new things- he would go into towns and try to find places that had books about anything that he thought would be useful to learn- which in his case was everything. He loved knowledge in general- hard to pry him off a book when he was engrossed in one. And although Amatus was one year younger than Luz, he knew much more than she did. She loved talking to him, just because she learned something from him each time she did. Luz wished that she could be able to read, but the reality was that she couldn’t. She could feel the roughness of the paper in manuscripts that Amatus would read, but that’s all she felt. The roughness of it all coming together into one. There were no rough edges where the letters began or ended. There was nothing to guide her. Often times she would feel a border in the lettering, when they had used too much ink in one spot- Luz would trace that one spot with her fingertips over and over until she felt like there was no border left.

 

Amatus was a mage from Tevinter who had ran away after his mother had tried to wed him off to another girl when he had loved another. Instead of staying and be married- he had decided to run away. He thought that it would have been better than having to endure seeing the love of his life with another man while he, himself, had another woman in his arms. Amatus was a skilled mage, he had been an apprentice to some magister since he had first shown signs of his magical ability. Although he had shown true promise and skill, his true passion was not in magic, he had been more interested in alchemy and creating things that could help others when they were ill. Even when his true passion was helping others, he knew how to end lives as well. Throughout his readings he had encountered many passages that talked about poisons and venoms. He knew what made the body strong, as well as weak.

Luz had been interested in learning this from him, but at first Amatus had been reluctant to do so- simply because he hadn’t trusted her before, but after a while, Amatus had agreed with the promise that she would also learn how to heal others.

 

“Where has Varania gone anyway? She’s been gone since the morning,” asked Amatus as the sound of the crackling fire quickened while more wood was placed in it.

 

“She went into town- heard news of her brother or something.”

 

“I thought he was still in Tevinter?” asked Amatus.

 

“I thought so too.”

 

Varania had only briefly mentioned things regarding her brother. She hadn’t told them his name nor what had happened to him. She had only mentioned him a couple of times when she had had too much to drink. Slurring things like she missed him and that she hoped to see him again one day. When Luz had asked her why she didn’t just write him a letter, she had said that he hated her. Hated mages. But she had also mentioned betrayal and other words that had made no sense to Luz after that.

 

Luz heard the light and soft sound of footsteps to her far right as Amatus continued to talk, “What’d they say?”

 

Amatus stopped as Varania came into view from the large trees, “They saw him alive and well. Excuse me.”

 

With that, Varania walked toward her tent as she sat on her chair- like every night. Luz had heard her every night as she sat on her chair and scratched words onto the harsh paper. Luz knew she kept the letters in her backpack- never sent them. And Luz knew that all the letters were to Varania’s brother.


End file.
